Anguilla anguilla is susceptible to a number of natural and anthropogenic threats. These threats include but are not limited to; barriers to migration, climate change, habitat loss/degradation, invasive species, parasitism, pollution, predation and unsustainable exploitation (Drouineau et al. 2018). The occurrence and significance of these threats varies considerably from area to area across the species range. The significance of any single threat, or the synergy it may have with other threats is still poorly understood (Dekker 2004, Jacoby et al. 2015, Miller et al. 2016). It is therefore important to highlight that management measures focusing on a single threat, in isolation of other identified pressures (listed below), are less likely to have a significant positive effect on the stock than a combined approach.
As a fat, long lived, semelparous fish species eels also accumula- te a wide range of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) as DDT, PCBs, and dioxins, which is known to disturb their reproductive success.